


On an island out on the sea (I wouldn't care what they think of me)

by Ex-Genesis (orphan_account)



Category: Disney RPF
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-02
Updated: 2010-08-02
Packaged: 2017-11-13 19:42:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/507045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Ex-Genesis





	On an island out on the sea (I wouldn't care what they think of me)

Sometimes in their family, marriage sounds like the end result, the ultimate goal. Sometimes Nick can't think about it without getting sick to his stomach. There's something that sounds so perfect as it slips off his tongue, but if it's not a perfect love... He's just so confused. "Hey. Um, can I ask you sort of a hypothetical question?"  
  
Laying on the bed with a book open over his lap, Joe looks up as Nick enters. This. This sort of moment is what makes Joe wish that they would always stay at their Texas home, where he has an excuse not to be an adult, keep his family around. Just feet away. "Yeah, definitely. Sounds like it could be interesting." He's got a smile on his face as he drops his book to the floor, Nick rolling his eyes as he sits, lips quirking in premeditation.  
  
"Firstly, you  _do_  know what 'hypothetical' means?" There's already laughter in it, not bothering to keep up a facade for Joe's benefit.  
  
"Shut up." A slight shove to Nick's shoulder ends with Nick guiding Joe's hand back to the bed, thumb tapping at Joe's skin as he offers a half-apology.  
  
"Kidding. Okay so you want to get married right?"  
  
Eyebrows furrowing in surprise, Joe smiles, wraps an arm around Nick's shoulder and pulls him so that they're sitting side by side, Nick tucked into him as he tries to figure out where this is going, came from, even as he answers. "Yeah. Someday."  
  
"So this person loves you, but you can't marry them. Would you even consider them, being with them?"  
  
"Do I love them?" Joe doesn't think to question the lack of gender identity, it doesn't really cross his mind. Nick's kind of ponderous, and therefore comes up with a lot of vague questions, only half of which Joe ever hears.  
  
"In one way at least, but does that matter if you wouldn't even consider them?"  
  
"Right." Clenching his teeth together and rubbing at his neck, Joe says, "God, Nicky, I don't know. It depends on the person. Probably. Why?"  
  
"I might love someone. But I know I could never marry them. I'm having a hard time trying to decide if it's something I should - It doesn't do to dwell, right?"  
  
"If the reason you can't get married is because of money or something, then you definitely shouldn't waste your time. But if it's because of a law that doesn't recognize love, then I think you should ignore the pretentious nature of marriage and go for it. Marriage is about love, not the other way around."  
  
"You think marriage is pretentious?"  
  
"Well, sure. I mean it's an embossed piece of paper, a couple of rings, a lot of things that a lot of people can't afford. Of course it's romantic in its own way, declarations, but I don't know. I think I could be happy spending an eternity engaged. I think in the end, it's really not that important."  
  
"Can I ask you something else?"  
  
"Nick..." He should know Joe doesn't care, should never bother asking first, he thinks.  
  
"Well what if - what if you couldn't have kids?"  
  
"What like, we just couldn't have them? Adoption."  
  
"No. I mean - forget it. That was a stupid question." Nick's not looking at Joe anymore, not even trying. His eyes are towards the door, and Joe wonders - does he think he needs to escape? From what?  
  
"No, come one, what?"  
  
"What if... you couldn't adopt? Just, no kids. What would happen then?"  
  
"Nick, that's a really hard question."  
  
"I  _know_. I said it was stupid, so never mind."  
  
"No, if it's important to you, I wanna answer."  
  
"Joe, it's not. No big deal."  
  
"Shut up, dude. Let me think for a second." Big decisions can't really be made at a moments notice, but Joe guesses he's sort of considered it before, not paying attention to his own thoughts while doing so. It takes him a minute, thinking about a lifetime of driving passed parks with kids in it. Laughing, then running to their parents. A Christmas without lighting up his own child's face. Building a bike for Joe Jr. or whatever. Filling stockings for his baby girl. It would hurt so much to watch Holiday movies. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad, making hot chocolate for someone he loved and himself, sharing a blanket, pressing fingers to skin to test who's colder. Nephews and nieces meaning that much more.  
  
"Alright, say I was in love with someone, and for whatever reason, adoption and pregnancy were out of the question. Kidnapping too?" Joe shoots out a smile, and Nick lets out a short laugh that he can't actually help. "No kidnapping. Yeah. It'd be hard. There'd be times where I might have trouble dealing with it, but if I'm in love with someone, I think I could handle almost anything. I know you're not supposed to, because you need more than love to live, but... I don't know. It seems like something that would help me work through anything."  
  
When Joe looks over, after he's finished working the words out of his mouth, Nick's just looking at him. Deep, soul-reading, the kind of look that would bother Joe if it were from anyone else. Since it isn't, he just looks back, lets Nick take whatever it is he needs. He tries not to feel like he's being pulled into something much bigger than himself, but it seems like from the moment Nick started asking questions, he already has.


End file.
